What Is Sciatica

Sciatica is not a specific disease, instead it is a condition characteristic of several different diseases. Simply put, it is a mild to intense pain in the left or right leg. Sciatica is caused by a compression of one or more of the five sets of nerve roots in the lower back. These compressions are typically caused by a disc rupture or bone spur in the lumbar spine. It causes pain, numbness, tingling, and weakness in the arms or legs. This is referred to as radiculopathy. If the nerve root causing the problem is in the neck it is called cervical radiculopathy. Sciatica is called a lumbar radiculopathy since it occurs in the lower back.

There is one type of spinal stenosis that exists where individuals are born with a narrow spinal canal. In people that have this condition even minor structural changes to the spine can cause severe spinal stenosis.

Posterior pelvic pain is often mistaken as sciatica. When you have sciatica, it causes discomfort not only in the low back, hips, buttocks, and thighs, but also in the legs. With sciatica, the leg pain is generally more severe than the spinal pain, and is accompanied by numbness, tingling, or pin-pricking sensations. This aching and numbness generally radiates all the way into the toes. Numbness may also extend to the groin and genital areas.

Your center of gravity is changing. Your abdomen is shifting out and down, and your spine curves backward to try to compensate for this shift. As a result, your spinal muscles become sore and tired, and more prone to injury and strain.

Piriformis Syndrome Due to the lack of MRI or x-ray findings, it may be difficult to diagnose and treat piriformis syndrome. The piriformis muscle connects to the thighbone, assists in hip rotation and is located in the lower part of the spine. When muscle spasms develop in the piriformis muscle thereby compressing the sciatic nerve, Piriformis syndrome develops. The sciatic nerve runs beneath the piriformis muscle. Piriformis syndrome is named for the piriformis muscle and the pain caused when the muscle irritates the sciatic nerve. Lumbar Bulging or Herniated Disc

If your back pain if very intense, is rhythmic and feels like menstrual cramps, or is causing numbness, you should contact your health care provider.

The second mistake sciatica sufferers often make is returning to normal activities too quickly once symptoms improve. The vast majority of true sciatica cases are due to bulging or herniation of one or more discs in the lumbar spine, and the inflammation that typically is associated with such disc problems. In many cases, slight improvements in inflammation can result in dramatic symptom improvement. Many sciatica victims mistakenly believe they are back to normal as soon as they feel better, but the reality is that the bulging/herniated disc is far from fully healed, and too much exertion too soon can easily trigger a recurrence of symptoms - sometimes even more severe than they were to begin with. Even professional physical therapists sometimes make the mistake of pushing a patient to do too much too soon, with the result being a return or increase in sciatica symptoms.

The exception to the rule of considering surgery as a last resort is in the rare case of severe neurological compromise known as "cauda equina syndrome", which may be indicated by a loss of bowel and/or bladder control, sudden severe weakness in one or both legs, and/or "saddle anaesthesia" (a loss of sensation in the lower buttocks and inner thighs). Except in the rare instance of cauda equina syndrome though, it is generally better to avoid surgery if possible.

If you think you may be suffering from sciatica, be sure and contact your physician to get a proper diagnosis! Liana Mirkin is the IT Director for Spina Systems International, Inc., a company which specializes in distributing the

About the Author:

Orit Cox is a Holistic Health Practitioner and massage therapist in San Diego, CA and content writer for PregnancyMomandBaby.com, an information resource for pregnancy and mothers. Orit is also the author of The Pregnancy Pain Guide, featured at PregnancyPainRelief.com, where you can discover easy-to-implement techniques to relieve back pain from pregnancy.

The Book "Where Does It Hurt?" is a unique look at back pain and associated problems and what's more it is FREE! When you get back pain you want to know how to deal with it fast to get relief and most importantly stop your back pain returning.

Take extra care to be aware of how you bend and move. That alone can help prevent discomfort before it begins. Back pain in pregnant women can be frustrating, for sure, but you can find relief. Be sure you are getting adequate rest, nutrition, and exercise, and you will be on the way to eliminating backaches for good.

There are six typical causes of Sciatica. Spondylolisthesis Spondylolisthesis is usually found at birth, early childhood or acquired from physical trauma such as weightlifting. It is a disorder that most often affects the lumbar spine. Spondylolisthesis is characterized by one vertebra slipping forward over an adjacent vertebra. Often sciatic leg pain is caused when a nerve root compresses due to the vertebra being displaced and slipping.

Spinal stenosis related to age is the more commonly acquired form. This form of the stenosis condition may cause various spinal components to sag or bulge from arthritis. Discs, joints, and ligaments can be affected. These changes, which occur with age, can have the effect of narrowing the spinal canal and thus trigger spinal stenosis pain.

Specific exercises to alleviate low back pain during pregnancy include pelvic tilt exercises, Kegel exercises, back stretches, hamstring stretches, chest stretches, and wall squats.?? For detailed information on how to do these stretches and exercises, you can visit http://www.pregnancymomandbaby.com/painanddiscomfort/back_exercises_for_pregnancy.html

Sciatica is generally caused by a herniated or bulging disk. Your risk of low back pain during pregnancy increases if you have had back aches before becoming pregnant or during a previous pregnancy. You also have an increased risk of prenatal back pain if you are carrying twins or are overweight.

In order to maintain a healthy back during pregnancy, it is essential to engage in a regular exercise regimen.?? Exercise is essential for controlling and avoiding back pain.?? When your muscles are weak and inflexible, you are more likely to hurt.?? Regular exercise will stretch and strengthen your muscles and ligaments to better support your spine and prevent pregnancy back ache from occurring.

The first mistake is rushing into a surgery. Although the vast majority of surgeons are not anxious to perform surgery on sciatica cases, there are a few who do recommend surgical treatment right from the start, and without even attempting any other type of treatment. Sciatica resolves in approximately 80% of cases without surgery. Even when surgery is successful initially, the development of scar tissue and abnormal mechanical stresses on the spine adjacent to the surgery often lead to future problems. Given that low back spine surgery overall has about a 50% long-term success rate and people treated surgically often wind up worse than they were prior to surgery, it should be reserved as a treatment of last resort.

Back pain in pregnant women is a very common complaint. In fact, as many as 80% of pregnant women will have back pain at some time during their pregnancy. There are several types of back pain that occur among expectant mothers, but low back pain is the most common. But why does your low back hurt during pregnancy?

Most people can recall some experience with Back Pain or Sciatica during their lives, either as a sufferer themselves or through knowing someone who was. Searching for information you can uncover volumes of advice on lower back pain, upper back pain, sciatica, herniated discs, scoliosis, bulging discs, ruptured discs, fibromyalgia, nerve problems and degeneration, but very little practical advice on back pain treatments and relief from back pain.

When the nucleus breaks through the annulus a herniated disc occurs. It is called a 'non-contained' disc disorder. A bulging disc is also known as a contained disc disorder. This means the nucleus pulposus (gel-like center) remains 'contained' within the annulus fibrosus (tire-like outer wall) of the disc. Because a herniated disc is a 'non-contained' disc disorder, the consequences of a herniated disc are worse. Whether a disc or herniates or bulges, disc material can press against an adjacent nerve root and compress delicate nerve tissue and cause sciatica. Irritation and nerve compression cause pain and inflammation often leading to extremity tingling, muscle weakness and numbness. The disc material itself also contains an acidic, chemical irritant (hyaluronic acid) that causes nerve inflammation. The herniated nucleus causes direct compression of the nerve root against the interior of the bony spinal canal.

"Sciatol really worked for me. After 2 weeks my shooting leg pain is gone and I feel so much better. Thank you!!!" Daniel

About the Author:

Dr. George Best has been treating people with sciatica and piriformis syndrome since 1992. To receive a free ebook on Sciatica Exercises and a video information program on understanding and managing sciatica, visit his website at http://www.sciaticaselfcare.com .

About the Author: Terry worked in Gen Medicine for over 14 years in HM Forces. He has a keen interest in Back Problems & Natural treatments. He launched "Back Trouble UK earlier in the year!

Fortunately, in most cases, sciatica can be managed effectively simply through an awareness of potentially damaging activities and positions and through simple exercises one can do at home. Long-term pain and disability are avoidable, if one makes the necessary effort to perform the necessary exercise regimen on a regular schedule and to avoid movements, activities, and postions that can be damaging to the discs of the spine, such as incorrect bending and lifting, and poor posture (especially sitting posture). Long-term problems can be avoided by putting forth just a small amount of effort to manage sciatica on an ongoing basis over time.

By reading "Where Does It Hurt?" you will learn why if you are going to make a significant change to your back pain or sciatica. You are going to need to work on your muscles, ligaments and tendons in a way that allows the vertebrae, discs and nerves to be correctly aligned and under no pressure.

This article will explore the causes of back pain during pregnancy, discuss the different types of back pain that occur, and provide information about what can be done to prevent and relieve prenatal back pain.

Back pain and sciatica seem to baffle the medical profession and subsequently they more often prescribe drugs and surgery or the suggestion that, in time, rest will make it magically disappear. In many cases back pain doesn't go away with rest or even time. Cases of sciatica can hang around for months and people with common lower back pain or upper back pain have been known to suffer for years.

As your uterus expands and your baby grows, it also causes immense changes in your posture, which can result in aching. As your abdomen and uterus stretch, it puts a greater strain on your back muscles.

Posterior pelvic discomfort can be aggravated by bending, twisting, rolling, climbing stairs, and prolonged leaning forward such as occurs when you sit at a computer for extended periods of time.

Lumbar Spinal Stenosis The condition of spinal stenosis results in the spinal canal narrowing. The narrowing causes pressure on the spinal cord and spinal nerves. Common in patients over the age of 50 and with causes that are not clear, spinal stenosis has two different types frequently described. A common complaint of spinal stenosis patients is leg pain which gets worse with walking. Another complaint is back pain. Sitting and bending can sometimes alleviate these pains.

Lumbar discomfort can be triggered by sitting or standing for extended periods of time or by repetitive lifting. Posterior pelvic pain is low back ache that is experienced behind the pelvis, below the waist, and/or across the tailbone or sacrum. It can also be felt in the buttocks, on one or both sides, or in the back of the thighs. You may also have pubic pain. Posterior pelvic pain occurs four times more frequently than lumbar pain during pregnancy.

Backache can occur for a number of reasons, which can be reduced to two main issues: hormones and postural changes. During pregnancy, your body produces a veritable cocktail of hormones. Among these is a hormone called relaxin. The primary role of relaxin is to loosen the joints and ligaments in your body in order to help them stretch and widen. This allows your body to more easily make room for your baby inside of your pelvis. And, when the time comes for your baby to be born, the hormone relaxin will have helped the joints of your pelvis relax and stretch enough for your baby's shoulders to pass through your pelvic bones.

But what does all that have to do with lower back pain? Well, unfortunately, your body is unable to isolate which ligaments and joints will stretch and loosen, and this happens on a broad scale throughout your body. As the ligaments and muscles which normally support your spine become lax, it can result in some instability in the spine, which can result in aching and discomfort.

This Book will explain why in simple easy to follow language that anyone can understand. It will provide you with more useful information covering lower back pain, upper back pain, sciatica, herniated discs, scoliosis, bulging discs, ruptured discs, fibromyalgia, nerve problems and degeneration, back pain treatments and back pain relief than you would normally pay hundreds of pounds for. It is FREE and you can download a copy here. "Where Does It Hurt?" From http://www.backtrouble.co.uk

The Book "Where Does It Hurt?" covers everything you need to know about the muscles, ligaments and nerves and how the body ends up with back pain or sciatic nerve problems.

The third mistake people, including doctors, often make regarding sciatica is to view it as a condition that can be "cured". Because most people continue to engage in the activities that caused the underlying disc problems to develop that produced sciatica in the first place, the vast majority of sciatica sufferers will experience repeated episodes, usually becoming more severe and more frequent over time. This is due to the fact that the disc issues that initially produce the sciatica tend to grow worse over time if they are not managed appropriately. Once again, it is not safe to assume that a resolution of symptoms means that the problem has gone away. In fact, what happens in many cases is that the spine and discs gradually degenerate over time, making the person more and more susceptible to sciatica episodes. Eventually, the degeneration can become so severe that there really is no effective treatment, and many people are left with chronic, debilitating pain.

There are two common types of low back pain in pregnancy, lumbar pain and posterior pelvic pain. Lumbar pain is similar to the kind of back pain you may have experienced before you became pregnant. Lumbar discomfort is felt in the lower spine, at the level of, or slightly higher than, your waist. It can also result in pain that radiates to your legs.

Another cause of sciatica is trauma caused by accidents. The impact may injure nerves or cause fragments of bone to compress the nerves (lumbar or sacral spinal nerve roots)

If you found stretching and exercises haven't helped your back pain or they irritated your sciatica then you are not alone. Getting effective back pain relief is possible but not the way many of the conventional therapists or doctors will advise.

Because of pain and a lack of understanding of their condition, sciatica sufferers may make some costly long-term mistakes when it comes to handling their problem.

If you focus on the specific area of your back pain when treating the problem you may achieve a temporary improvement, or you may irritate and inflame the area, but either way you will do nothing to deal with the cause of why the back pain is there in the first place.

Spinal Tumors Spinal tumors can be benign or malignant, but are fairly rare. They cause sciatica due to pressure on the disc. Trauma

Accu-SPINA machine, which treats chronic back pain in 86%-94% of patients without surgery. You may find the website at SpinaProgram.com

Learn More about Natural Sciatica Back Pain Treatments

Sciatica is something that refers to symptoms having pain either caused by general compression or irritation of one of five nerve roots giving birth to sciatic nerve, or by compression or irritation of the sciatic nerve. Either compression of lumbar nerves L4 or L5 or sacral nerves S1, S2 or S3, or rarely, compression of the sciatic nerve creates sciatica.
At times, pain in the lower back and...

What are the causes behind the pain of sciatica? Sciatica is usually associated with compression of the sciatic nerve due to a slipped or a herniated disc. A degenerative disc disease is a condition that is brought about by the ageing process. The sciatic nerve is sometimes pinched by the piriformis muscle that is located deep in the buttocks. Sciatic pain can also be caused by conditions...

It is pain in the butt quite literally. It can also be a pain in the hip, the thigh, the lower leg, or even the foot. In fact, the condition known as sciatica can send pain shooting anywhere in your lower body. What is causing all the commotion is the sciatic nerve, which is not one but a group of nerves bound together in a single sheath. The sciatica nerve runs from your lower back down each leg...

Imagine the surprise a woman must feel while dealing with the physical symptoms and discomforts of pregnancy, to suddenly develop severe back pain. This is not the usual low back pain that is often experienced during pregnancy; it is sciatica. This sharp, shooting pain usually starts in the buttocks and radiates down the back or side of the thigh to the calf and possibly the heel. There may be...

What is sciatica? Sciatica is the official name given to a pain in the leg, foot, or buttock, brought on by a form of irritation to the sciatic nerve, the longest nerve in the entire body.
Sciatica is most commonly caused by a slipped disc in the lower back, some form of arthritis, or a pinched nerve. It begins with back pain, followed by calf or hamstring pain, and sometimes included...